IIT-Bombay Removes Dean Suryanarayana Doolla After Student Sahil Wakode's Death

The Indian Institute of Technology Bombay on Monday, September 21, 2026, removed Prof. Suryanarayana Doolla from his administrative post with immediate effect following the death of a 22-year-old student at the institute's Powai campus amid allegations of caste-based discrimination and harassment.

IIT-Bombay Director Prof. Shireesh Kedare announced the decision in an official email, stating that Prof. Doolla, who was serving as Dean of Administrative Affairs, had been relieved of his responsibilities. The Director noted that any further action would be determined after an investigation. Prof. Doolla had previously served as the Dean of Student Affairs.

The administrative decision came days after the death of Sahil Ravindra Wakode, a second-year BTech student in the Department of Energy Science and Engineering. Wakode was found dead in his room on the Powai campus on the evening of Friday, September 18, 2026. In an initial statement following the death, the institute alleged that the student was caught using a mobile phone during a mid-semester examination.

Wakode's family, who reside in Maharashtra's Yavatmal district, alleged that he had been subjected to institutional harassment and caste-based discrimination before he died. The incident sparked demonstrations by students across the campus, with protesters asserting that Wakode had been placed under severe pressure and faced threats of academic suspension.

Following a formal complaint submitted by Wakode's parents, police registered a First Information Report on Saturday, September 19, 2026. The FIR includes charges of abetment of suicide under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, alongside provisions of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.

According to police officials, a professor has been named as an accused in the case. The investigation into the student's death has been handed over to the Crime Branch.